DURING A STORIED 14-year NBA career, Tony Allen was named to six All-Defensive teams and earned the nickname "The Grindfather" for his abilities as one of the league's most hard-nosed perimeter defenders.
But on Feb. 22, 2005, he was a 24-year-old rookie guard staring at one unenviable task: Shut down Kobe Bryant.
"I was definitely hyped," Allen told ESPN. "I had Paul Pierce in my ear telling me, 'Get ready! You stick me every day [in practice]. You should be ready. Let's go! That's Kobe Bryant!'"
The No.